When the ancient Polynesians invented surfing, they often used a paddle to help them navigate. Fast-forward a few millennia, and Stand-Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, finds itself trendy again. Part of its increasing popularity is that standing upright allows surfers to spot waves more easily and thus catch more of them, multiplying the fun factor. Paddling back to the wave becomes less of a strain as well. The ability to cruise along on flat inland water, surveying the sights, is another advantage. Finally, its a good core workout. If youre sold on the idea, schedule an intro SUP lesson, free with board and paddle rental, and you may find yourself riding the waves like a Polynesian king.More

Many of us remember coming home from our elementary schools with freshly glazed pinchpots, cups, or whatever else our young imaginations could conjure up. Saturday mornings at the Randall Museum can bring that memory back, or create a new one for the youngsters. Ceramics make great gifts — especially on Mothers' and Fathers' Day. Hop on board for the Randall's once-weekly class, and for $6 and two weeks to have your work fired and glazed, you'll have all the materials you need.More

Health officials decided to use this hallmark holiday to tell us the hard, cold truth about our Valentines -- they aren't so pure after all. As it turns out, San Francisco's sexual behavior has caught up with itself, and STDs are on the upswing.

Overall reported cases of chlamydia increased 10 percent last year -- with a 23 percent increase in white men alone. Gonorrhea rates went up 9.8 percent, and rectal cases among men increased by 6 percent.

If that wasn't enough to turn you off of sex tonight, here is another mood killer: Syphilis has sharply increased by nearly 30 percent, after a short-lived decline in 2008.

The STD Prevention and Control Services Section is scrambling to respond to the unexpected increase. Health officials aren't sure exactly what they will do about it, but they are meeting later this week with community partners to discuss options and see if they need to target new populations.

In the meantime, health officials are reminding everyone and anyone who has sex to get screened for STDs. Men who have sex with other men should be screened for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea every three to six months, while women who are 25-years-old or younger should be screened for chlamydia annually.

"STDs tend to rise and fall, but the rise in syphilis is fairly large and we are really trying to focus on bringing that down," said Susan Philip, director for the STD Prevention and Control Department.

So there you have it, it appears chocolate hearts won't be the only thing your date will be giving you tonight.

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Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"